Pregnant women shouldn't 'eat for two'

The results of a study at Bristol University have shown that pregnant women who eat more for themselves and their baby are putting themselves in danger of obesity.

The research also showed that gaining too much weight during pregnancy could put mother and child in danger, and cause health issues such as high blood pressure in the future.

Heath service guidelines say that pregnant women should not 'eat for two' and a woman's recommended calorie intake of 1,940 a day should not change.

During the last three months of pregnancy, a woman should consume 200 extra calories a day.

The study discovered that women who put on in excess of the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy had triple the risk of being overweight or 'apple-shaped' 16 years later.

The team measure the BMI of 3,877 mothers in the west of England during their pregnancies and again 16 years later.

Dr Abigail Fraser, the report’s main author, said: "Our findings suggest that regular monitoring of weight in pregnancy may need to be reconsidered because it provides a window of opportunity to prevent health problems later in life."

"You don’t need to eat for two in pregnancy because this will cause you problems in later life, and is also linked to a higher risk of your baby becoming obese in childhood."